Jorakuji Temple Main Hall

A Representative Muromachi Japanese-Style Hall

The Jorakuji Temple Main Hall (常楽寺本堂) is the early Muromachi main hall of Jorakuji in Nishidera, Konan City, Shiga Prefecture, which in 1953 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey hip-and-gable hall seven bays by six with a three-bay porch and cypress-bark roof, designated with its shrine cabinet.

According to the Agency, it appears to have been rebuilt soon after the temple burned in 1360, when the monk Kankei set out to restore it.

Structure and Repairs

According to the Agency, the bracketing is now two-stepped and the outer sanctuary has a coffered ceiling throughout, but originally the brackets were single-stepped and the outer bay around the sides had an exposed roof structure.

The frog-leg struts of the porch were also replaced, keeping only their original inner patterns. The date of this major repair is unknown, but its style suggests the end of the Muromachi period. The shrine cabinet inside, with Zen-style elements, is thought to be contemporary with the hall.

What to Look For

The Agency notes that despite the later repairs it remains one of the representative Japanese-style halls of the Muromachi period.

The tourism association notes figures of the Twenty-Eight Attendants lining both sides of the shrine that holds the hidden principal image.

Visiting the Jorakuji Temple Main Hall

The tourism association reports that as of May 2026 visits are by reservation on weekends only because of works.

The temple's history and visiting information are on the Jorakuji group page.